One of my favorite episodes of the vegetable gardening year is when my wife Suzanne and I go out in October to plant the next yearâs garlic crop. Unlike the spring and summer planting seasons for other edibles, when Iâm juggling all sorts of other chores and have to hurry through sowing seeds or transplanting…
Once leaves have dropped in autumn, there is a great opportunity to examine the deciduous trees in your garden and determine if some pruning is needed. November through March is an ideal time to get that work done. Evergreen tree pruning should be deferred until early spring. The reasons for pruning include: ⢠Managing damage…
Gardeners are future oriented. They tend to evaluate their gardens and landscape flowers, shrubs and trees. If a plant in one place did not thrive, they either move it to another location or remove it. Gardeners strive to get the right plant in the right place, so they observe, plan and act. Here are important…
Online Building a rain garden to help the environment Rain gardens and swales aren’t just beautiful landscape features. They also help recharge groundwater, reduce pollution in waterways, provide habitat for butterflies, birds and other pollinators, and build soil health. Daily Acts of Petaluma is hosting a free online presentation Oct. 15 on how to design…
Starting a terrace garden in India? Begin with easy-to-grow veggies like tomatoes and spinach. Maximize your space with vertical gardening and turn kitchen waste into compost for a sustainable approach. Combat water scarcity with a simple rainwater harvesting system. Once you have surplus produce, sell it locally for a profit. This way, your hobby can…
The need for seasonal garden cleanup can be a controversial subject. How much to do in autumn, and how much to leave for spring, is a question best answered by, âIt depends.â Questions to ask yourself include: ⢠What are you growing? ⢠What insect and animal pests do you want to manage? ⢠What…
One of the things I love about fall is the chance to sit in the cooler garden and just listen and observe. From my chair under the maple tree, I can see the birds coming and going from the birdfeeder and bouncing from flower to flower looking for seeds. If my sitting time is close…
As you might be aware, El Paso County and much of Colorado is seeing an uptick in mountain pine beetle (MPB) activity. MPB is a native insect that usually attacks weaker trees as part of a natural cycle of forest renewal. However, MPB can switch from endemic levels to outbreak levels. Parts of the county,…
